Ben Barnett

IT IS one of nature’s most fascinating annual spectacles which last year attracted hundreds of people to the Yorkshire coastline, and tickets are now on sale for its next instalment.

The Spurn Migration Festival is organised by a team comprising of Westmere Farm, Birding Frontiers, Spurn Bird Observatory and Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, and a weekend-long celebration of the autumn migration of birds that passes through Spurn in East Yorkshire every year.

Following on from a successful event last year, the festival will return on September 4-6. On the line-up this time round is an extensive programme of walks, talks and demonstrations which will take place across sites at Spurn, Kilnsea and Easington, delivered by the YWT’s migration festival team.

Also set to feature are lectures and exhibitions at Westmere Farm in Kilnsea, hosted by Sue and Andrew Wells, with the Saturday evening hog roast and lecture expected to be a highlight.

This year’s talk will be given by Yoav Perlman, entitled ‘Israel – Where migration is defined’.

Across last year’s festival some 124 species of bird were recorded together with other wildlife. Standout moments included close up views of the Wryneck. Around 280 Wrynecks pass through the UK on migration in spring and, or, autumn but they only tend to be seen in small numbers on sites near the eastern and southern coasts.

Up to three of these birds were on full view throughout the weekend at last year’s festival before they continued their long migration to Africa, south of the Sahara.

Martin Garner, member of the Spurn Migration Festival team and owner of Birding Frontiers, is expecting another successful event this year.

“Over 300 people came last year to the Spurn Migration Festival. This live action event is unique in Britain with some of Europe’s top experts and some of our leading nature organisations present. We are looking forward to another big success with our third Migration festival, and we are very confident the birds and wildlife will show up for the greatest natural spectacle in the world.”

Tickets for the festival are available from www.spurnmigfest.com or by calling 01904 659570.